


To Be Human

by AliceWasNotDreaming



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Good Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Sixth Year, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 10:12:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15386532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceWasNotDreaming/pseuds/AliceWasNotDreaming
Summary: When Grindelwald breaks out of his prison and sets his sights on Britain, Voldemort and Dumbledore are forced by circumstances to become allies. Suspecting that there are spies in the midst of Hogwarts students, Voldemort agrees to pose as a Sixth Year student to discover the truth. Harry gradually learns that Voldemort is still, after all, only human.





	To Be Human

**Author's Note:**

> To be human is to love  
> Even when it gets too much  
> I'm not ready  
> To give up  
> -Sia 'To Be Human'

'What?' Harry gasped.

Dumbledore gazed at him steadily. 'Yes, Harry. We are indeed forming an alliance with Lord Voldemort.'

Harry floundered for words. 'But why? How?' he spluttered. A million questions appeared in his mind. 'How - how do you know he won't betray us? And why would he even agree to form an alliance with us instead of with Grindelwald, if he wants an alliance at all? And - and what about the people he killed? We're just gonna shake hands and be friends now? You expect us to just forgive him like that? I-'

'Harry,' Dumbledore interrupted calmly, 'I expect you to do nothing at all. That is, I expect you to tolerate him until the war with Grindelwald ends. The matter with Voldemort can be left until later to discuss. For now, our priority is Grindelwald.'

The Headmaster leant forwards in his chair, his fingers crossing. Bright blue eyes gazed at Harry steadily. 'To answer your previous questions, a simple Unbreakable Vow is sufficient to ensure that Voldemort will hold true to his word. I suspect he has agreed to this alliance because he believes he will lose to Grindelwald otherwise. Not that Voldemort thinks he is less powerful - indeed, the opposite would be true - he simply thinks that with the vampires on Grindelwald's side and the loyalty of the werewolves and giants wavering, his followers might be outnumbered. He also, I think, wants to know more about us in preparation for his war against us after all these are finished.'

 

Harry narrowed his eyes. 'Then why did you agree, Professor?'

 

Dumbledore tilted his head. 'Because we have nothing to lose, Harry, and everything to gain in this alliance. We will gain both time to prepare better for a war with Voldemort and powerful allies at the same time.'

 

Harry said, 'But you just said Voldemort-'

 

Dumbledore cut in, 'Yes, Voldemort wants to know his enemy better - but that is not a concern. The secrets that we do hide cannot be discovered by simply interacting with us. Those that he can discover - for example, your friends, your abilities, your habits - they are no secrets, to be frank, and can be easily obtained through other means should he wish to know.'

 

'This is insane,' Harry said, his mind still reeling, 'this is dangerous.'

 

'It is a dangerous game we are playing, yes,' Dumbledore agreed cheerfully. 'But then again, daring, crazy decisions are expected to be made when we are not fighting one Dark Lord but two.'

 

On this happy note, he bid Harry good night and dismissed him.

 

***

 

Harry walked slowly back to the Gryffindor Common Room, still in a state of extreme disbelief.

 

A month ago, the news had come that Grindelwald had somehow broken out of his prison in Nurmengard and had obtained powerful allies in America, and that he planned on moving against Britain and Dumbledore next. The wizarding world had been in an uproar since then. 

Voldemort and his followers had been in no better shape. There had never, in wizarding history, been two Dark Lords at the same time. Some Death Eaters, especially those who had families in America, had gone over to Grindelwald, while some were beginning to rethink their loyalties in the face of a new, potentially more powerful threat.

When Dumbledore summoned Harry to Hogwarts that night in August, Harry had thought that the headmaster simply wanted to offer him better protection given the current climate. But it had been much more complicated than that. Voldemort, it seemed, had offered to form an alliance with Dumbledore until Grindelwald was defeated. Temporary peace, during which both sides would unite against a common enemy, and then one more week of respite to prevent backstabbing, after which the war might, presumably, resume.

 

Harry, it seemed, was needed during the peace conference tomorrow to act as witness. 'You are undeniably a key player in this war as the Chosen One, Harry,' Dumbledore had explained.

Harry was not happy with this arrangement, Hell, that was a severe understatement! He wanted nothing to do with the monster responsible for the death of his parents, his godfather, and many other innocent people! 

 

But he knew Dumbledore was right. They could not hope to fight against both Voldemort and Grindelwald at the same time. What other choice did they have? Besides, it wasn't like Dumbledore was asking them to simply forgive Voldemort or anything. They were just forming a temporary alliance - a temporary truce.

 

But still - it took time to wrap his mind arround this abrupt change. The battlefield had shifted, and Harry had not been prepared.

 

'Winter Wisteria,' he mumbled to the Fat Lady as he approached the portrait. He climbed into the deserted common room, distracted.

 

His heart almost leapt out of his chest when he heard someone scream, 'Harry!' Before he could react he got a facefull of bushy brown hair.

 

Harry's heart leapt again when he recognized the girl hugging him fiercely. 'Hermione!' he exclaimed, a beam making its way onto his face. He looked up and saw a tall, awkward redhead grinning at him. 'Ron!' His smile was so wide now his face was almost split in two. 'What are you doing here?'

 

Ron grinned. 'Hey, Harry. Dumbledore said he thought you would need "emotional support" or something. He was very vague in the letter he sent to Mum. What does he mean? What's going on, mate? And why are you here?'

 

Hermione finally released Harry. 'Oh, Harry - we're so glad to see you!' She laughed, reaching out to fix Harry's hair clumsily. 'But what's happening?'

 

Harry grimaced slightly, the euphoria of seeing his best friends unexpectedly slowly fading. 'Yeah, well, about that... I think we'd better sit down first.'


End file.
